A man across the alley stared at Lin Shu with an expression of lustful admiration, as if her presence had captured his soul.

Lin Shu felt the sticky, uncomfortable gaze, reminiscent of the creepy men she had encountered in her youth.

She turned sharply and glared at him, growling, “What are you staring at!”

With that, she briskly walked away, carrying the sack of flour and the bowl.

The man, however, continued to watch her with increasing fervor.

At the Xu family home, Xu Mother was crying uncontrollably, with her grandson lying on her, also sobbing.

Xu Shihua sighed, helped Xu Mother onto the kang (a type of heated bed), and made her a bowl of brown sugar water.

“Mother, our family can afford food now. Why do you still starve yourself?”

Xu Mother wept, “Who am I doing this for? I’m doing it for you and the child. Although our situation is slightly better now, food is still scarce. If I eat more, you and the child will eat less. I’d rather starve myself, even if it means giving you my blood and flesh, than see you go hungry.”

Her words were so heavy that Xu Shihua couldn’t even correct her, instead, he placed their son beside her on the kang to keep her company.

After drinking the brown sugar water and regaining some strength, Xu Mother gave some to her grandson and said to Xu Shihua, “I don’t know what your wife said when she went back to her family, but it made her mother come demanding food, and her sister-in-law came to snatch our grain. How much can Xiaoyou possibly eat? I think they must be colluding to calculate against us.”

Xu Shihua remained silent, knowing that no matter what he said, his mother had her own logic.

Xu Mother continued, “Maybe they’re resentful that we didn’t give a dowry? But she was the one who didn’t want it. It’s not that we didn’t offer. Didn’t she bring less dowry than others?”

She began crying again, “Is it just because of grinding the grain? What hardship haven’t I endured? What labor haven’t I done? Now, when she has to grind grain, her own mother comes to squeeze me, and her sister-in-law bullies me? My heart is broken over our food, your food, and Yao Yao’s food.”

Xu Shihua immediately said, “Mother, stop crying. I’ll borrow some grain coupons from colleagues and buy some flour. If necessary, we can eat cornmeal for a while.”

Xu Mother didn’t respond to him but continued crying, “Son, why didn’t you stop her? What were you thinking? Did you see her and freeze up? Son, you can’t be like this. You’re such an outstanding person. Women should be the ones chasing you, not the other way around.”

Xu Mother had always been proud of her son’s charm.

When he was in school, girls would give him notebooks, scarves, and meal tickets.

She was very proud.

But she herself was very stingy and couldn’t tolerate her son being involved with female classmates.

Spend a penny.

The son wrote poems for others, and a female classmate treated him better. She felt it was quite good and didn’t feel like she lost anything.

Mother Xu couldn’t bear to part with a few pounds of flour, so she insisted Xu Shihua go get it back. “You go and ask her in-laws for it. I see they’re so thick-skinned.”

Xu Shihua helplessly said, “Mother, how did she take it in the first place?”

Mother Xu immediately started crying again, “It’s because I’m old and useless. I’m a burden. Just let me starve to death—”

The grandson beside her also cried, “Grandma, Grandma…”

Mother Xu used both threats and pleas, insisting Xu Shihua get the flour back.

Xu Shihua, however, couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He knew his father-in-law and mother-in-law didn’t like him.

When he went to pick up his bride, they didn’t even smile, looking as if they were going to eat him alive.

So, he didn’t go to visit them after three days, only sending Lu Hehuan to the door and saying he’d pick her up in the evening.

She ended up staying at her family’s house for a night, making him wait for half an hour, and he just went home without picking her up again.

Later, she returned by herself anyway.

It was so close, why bother picking her up?

It seemed pretentious.

Now asking for flour from his in-laws was impossible for him.

He wasn’t someone who disregarded manners or didn’t want to visit his in-laws; it was just that he couldn’t handle the face his mother-in-law had made, as if he had kidnapped her daughter.

Fine, let Lu Hehuan deal with it.

She was the one who caused this trouble; why did she leave the child with her sister-in-law?

This led to her mother and sister-in-law coming to his house, making his mother so angry she was almost ill.

So, he went to find Lu Hehuan at the elementary school.

When Lu Hehuan saw him, she was very happy, her tired face brightening up.

Xu Shihua thought she was pretty, but not as pretty as Lin Shu.

He had feelings for Lin Shu, feeling betrayed.

He wasn’t fixated on Lin Shu, just felt that when Lin Aidi suggested her, he specifically went to see her.

To him, she wasn’t perfect.

She was too timid and too beautiful.

He wasn’t a person who judged by looks; he valued inner qualities and understanding of his thoughts and work.

Well…

She wasn’t perfect, but he was willing to settle for her.

He had thought long and hard, preparing himself mentally to marry a flashy but shallow woman.

He was ready to face more challenges in the future because of her, but in the end… the Lin family didn’t agree.

To be honest, he was a bit disappointed, or rather, quite frustrated.

However, he is a magnanimous and cultured person.

He didn’t let this bother him.

After all, a woman was just a part of his life, and not an important part.

There was no need to get upset over it.

If she didn’t agree, there were countless women eager to marry him.

But he wasn’t particularly enamored with women.

Most of them were superficial, mundane, and materialistic.

No matter how bright and charming they were when young, they became boring and tiresome as they aged.

They cling to you like leeches, not letting go until they’ve drained you completely.

If you don’t comply with them, they will cry, throw tantrums, and even resort to extreme measures to force you to agree.

If you want a peaceful life, you have to surrender. If you don’t, they’ll make sure your life is tumultuous.

It feels like being lost in a vast, dark sea, with no light or hope in sight.

Just when you’re sinking to the bottom, you might see a faint starry light from the shore.

That’s the lighthouse, guiding you but not giving you strength.

And she stands there, watching you struggle, mocking you with no sympathy.

Such is the way of the world.

Xu Shihua was consumed by her own loneliness, darkness, and lack of freedom, while Lu Hehuan was full of joy, thinking he was coming to see her, eager to meet her.

As soon as class ended, without even giving homework, she rushed out to him like a bird finding its way, exclaiming, “Shihua!”

Xu Shihua immediately avoided her, her permanently furrowed brows tightening further. “Be mindful of your impact.”

Lu Hehuan smiled brightly and innocently. “Shihua, are you looking for me? Would you like to take a walk by the river? I know a place with a forest, a small path, endless wildflowers, and a clear stream. It could help you find inspiration for your writing.”

Xu Shihua, feeling impatient, thought: Look at these women.

They always expect him to do this and that, making him adjust himself to please them. Isn’t this just draining him?

Why should he satisfy her?

Why should he compromise his own happiness for her?

Her smile was superficial and glaring, and he didn’t have to be responsible for it.

She was the one who attached herself to him.

Why should he pamper her?

Was she worth it?

He said with a serious face, “During work hours, don’t just think about playing around.”

Lu Hehuan’s mood was dampened, but she wasn’t upset. She cheerfully replied, “Whatever you want to do, I’ll accompany you. I don’t have any classes in the afternoon.”

Xu Shihua frowned even more, “If there’s nothing to do, go home and help your mother. Don’t just run around all day.”

Other than writing his own lonely poems, Xu Shihua never had poetic moments with Lu Hehuan, nor had he ever written her a poem.

Their life and conversations were always about work—taking care of children, grinding grain, fetching water, feeding pigs, and managing the land. “My mother isn’t easy to deal with. You need to be filial.”